The Ranch Next Door and Other Stories

A collection of Western short stories that go beyond the standard action and adventure of the genre to focus on character and conflict. In the award-winning "Disturbing the Peace," honorable mention in the 2010 Rope and Wire short story competition, a sheriff experiences a revelation about himself and his relationship with the people of his town, while in "The

Overview

A collection of Western short stories that go beyond the standard action and adventure of the genre to focus on character and conflict. In the award-winning "Disturbing the Peace," honorable mention in the 2010 Rope and Wire short story competition, a sheriff experiences a revelation about himself and his relationship with the people of his town, while in "The Outlaw's Wife," a country doctor worries that his young friend is falling for a married woman whose husband is rumored to be a wanted criminal. From the suspenseful "Cross My Heart" to the comedic romp of "A Rangeland Renaissance," to a Western twist on star-crossed romance in the title story, "The Ranch Next Door," these stories will appeal to a variety of readers, as well as established fans of the traditional Western.

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Meet the Author

Elisabeth Grace Foley is a historical fiction author, avid reader and lifelong history buff. Her first published story, "Disturbing the Peace," was an honorable mention in the first annual Rope and Wire Western short story competition, and is now collected with six others in her debut short story collection, "The Ranch Next Door and Other Stories." Her other works include a Western novella, "Left-Hand Kelly," and short fiction set during the American Civil War and the Great Depression. A homeschool graduate, she chose not to attend college in order to pursue self-education and her writing career.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

The Ranch Next Door and Other Stories 4.5 out of 5based on
0 ratings.
2 reviews.

HamletteTheDame

More than 1 year ago

This is a collection of seven short stories set in the American West. They are well-written and enjoyable. I liked some better than others, of course. My favorite was definitely "The Outlaw's Wife," which had two nice plot twists, one of which I did not see coming at all. I also really liked "Disturbing the Peace" and "Delayed Deposit."
If you like clean, well-written short stories (and especially if you like westerns), I definitely recommend this collection.

Heart2Heart

More than 1 year ago

Like little samples of your favorite desserts all wrapped up in the pages of this debut book, The Ranch Next Door and Other Stories by Elizabeth Grace Foley. This writer truly has the beautiful gift of being able to offer a taste of what she can write in this simple but powerful short stories. I found myself lost immediately in each one and wanted to much more when I got to the end.
The way I viewed each of these stories were like the old radio western stories our grandparents and parents would listen to on the radio. Just enough of the episode to keep you on the edge of your seat and then tuning back in the following evening just to hear what happened next. I would LOVE to see Elizabeth Grace Foley write a full length novel on one of the stories she has so eloquently captured in this collection, but for those of you that love those classic western tales of life on the wide open range with danger and intrigue around the corner with a touch of romance tossed in for good measure, then this is the perfect collection for you. Here's a synopsis of what you'll find in the book from the author:
Suspense, humor and a touch of romance await in seven short stories of the American West. In the title story, "The Ranch Next Door," a cattleman's young son dreads breaking the news to his family that he has fallen in love with the daughter of a neighboring sheep rancher despite an ancient feud between the two families. In "Cross My Heart," a boy is torn between betraying his conscience or a fugitive friend, and in "Delayed Deposit," five people are taken hostage during a bank robbery that turns into a tense standoff. The collection also includes the award-winning "Disturbing the Peace," honorable mention in the 2010 Rope and Wire short story competition. These seven stories total approximately 40,330 words or 161 book pages.
As you can see there are some great stories locked within the pages of this wonderful book and I was honored to be asked to review this book by the author for my honest opinion. Being a huge fan of western historical fiction, I couldn't wait to read this one and hope for many many more from her in the future. In my opinion the reader will not be disappointed and this one rates a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.